2 [uncountable]the quality of being fair or reasonableWho can deny the justice of their cause?He demanded, not without justice, that he should be allowed to express his views.oppositeinjustice

3 [uncountable]the legal system used to punish people who have committed crimesthe criminal justice systemThe European Court of Justice(British English)They were accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.(North American English)They were accused of attempting to obstruct justice.Wordfinderabide by something,court,crime,justice,law,legal,police,prosecute,punish,trialWordfindercell,death row,discharge,justice,parole,prison,probation,remission,sentence,warderWordfinderaccuse,appeal,counsel,defendant,evidence,justice,offence,plea,prosecution,trialCollocationsCriminal justiceBreaking the lawbreak/​violate/​obey/​uphold the lawbe investigated/​arrested/​tried for a crime/​a robbery/​fraudbe arrested/(especially North American English)indicted/​convicted on charges of rape/​fraud/(especially US English) felony chargesbe arrested on suspicion of arson/​robbery/​shopliftingbe accused of/​be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/​four counts of fraudface two charges of indecent assaultadmit your guilt/​liability/​responsibility (for something)deny the allegations/​claims/​chargesconfess to a crimegrant/​be refused/​be released on/​skip/​jump bailThe legal processstand/​await/​bring somebody to/​come to/​be on trialtake somebody to/​come to/​settle something out of courtface/​avoid/​escape prosecutionseek/​retain/​have the right to/​be denied access to legal counselhold/​conduct/​attend/​adjourn a hearing/​trialsit on/​influence/​persuade/​convince the jurysit/​stand/​appear/​be put/​place somebody in the dockplead guilty/​not guilty to a crimebe called to/​enter(British English) the witness boxtake/​put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness standcall/​subpoena/​question/​cross-examine a witnessgive/​hear the evidence against/​on behalf of somebodyraise/​withdraw/​overrule an objectionreach a unanimous/​majority verdictreturn/​deliver/​record a verdict of not guilty/​unlawful killing/​accidental deathconvict/​acquit the defendant of the crimesecure a conviction/​your acquittallodge/​file an appealappeal (against)/challenge/​uphold/​overturn a conviction/​verdictSentencing and punishmentpass sentence on somebodycarry/​face/​serve a seven-year/​life sentencereceive/​be given the death penaltybe sentenced to ten years (in prison/​jail)carry/​impose/​pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)be imprisoned/​jailed for drug possession/​fraud/​murderdo/​serve time/​ten yearsbe sent to/​put somebody in/​be released from jail/​prisonbe/​put somebody/​spend X years on death rowbe granted/​be denied/​break (your) parolecollocations atcrimesee alsomiscarriage of justiceCulturethe legal systemFor historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant(= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted(= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).British law is divided into civil law which concerns disagreements between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff(= the person who claims to have been wronged)brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages(= a financial payment) or an injunction(= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, specially trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court of Justice. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the Supreme Court, which has replaced the House of the Lords as the highest court in the country.In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court's decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a supreme court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences, i.e. against federal law, and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys-at-law. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is too poor to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney.See related entries:Justice

4(alsoJustice)[countable](North American English)a judge in a court (also used before the name of a judge)see alsochief justice

5Justice[countable](British English,Canadian English)used before the name of a judge in a court of appealMr Justice Davies

Word Originlate Old Englishiustise‘administration of the law’, via Old French from Latinjustitia, from justus, from jus

‘law, right’

.Extra examplesCivilians were not subject to summary justice.He saw it as rough justice when he got food poisoning from the stolen meat.He spent twenty years in prison as a result of a miscarriage of justice.Justice must be done in every case.Maybe there’s a sort of poetic justice to it.Restorative justice can only work when all parties agree.She was charged with perverting the course of justice after admitting to burning vital evidence.So far the robbers have escaped justice.Some people saw the epidemic as divine justice.Somebody out there needs to make sure justice is served.The teacher’s system of punishments appealed to the children’s sense of justice.They saw the reform proposals as a way to promote social justice.They were accused of attempting to obstruct justice.They were accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.We have been denied justice for too long.the battle for Taylor to face justice before the High Courtthe deadliest episode of vigilante justice in American historythose who are ultimately responsible for dispensing justicevictims seeking retributive justiceChildren often have a highly developed sense of justice.Our laws must be based on the principles of justice.Sometimes I feel that there’s no justice in the world.They’re demanding equal rights and social justice.We will not get social order until we have economic justice.Idioms

1to treat or represent somebody/something fairly, especially in a way that shows how good, attractive, etc. they areThat photo doesn't do you justice.He didn’t play as well as he can, but to do him justice, it was his first game since his injury.The review did not do justice to her talents.

2to deal with somebody/something correctly and completelyYou cannot do justice to such a complex situation in just a few pages.I didn’t feel well and wasn’t able to do justice to the meal she had cooked (= I could not eat all the food).